Our research

Research in Archaeology covers human origins through to the recent past and is characterised by theoretically informed field-based approaches and a strong commitment to methodological innovation. Our staff and research students work in Britain, mainland Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

Research Assessment Exercise

In the last Research Assessment Exercise (2008) we were ranked second in the UK for world leading and internationally excellent research in Archaeology (based on percentage of research categorised as 4* and 3*).

Research themes

The research culture in the Department of Archaeology at Exeter is characterised by internationally-recognised research projects and publications in a wide range of sub-disciplinary fields, including wetland archaeology, environmental archaeology and biological anthropology, experimental archaeology, landscape archaeology, and material culture studies. It encompasses period interests from earliest prehistory through to the post-medieval period and includes geographic specialisations that stretch from the Americas (especially North and South America), the British Isles, Northern, Western, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Eurasia steppes.

Visit our research themes pages and individual staff profiles for more information.

Research degrees

We have a thriving research culture and offer supervision across a wide range of specialisms. Our excellent facilities include a new bioarchaeology lab and experimental archaeology centre. Find out more about research degrees in Archaeology and the work of our graduate research students.